Review: The Rebel (Roswell High #8) by Melinda Metz

Blood brothers... Michael has finally found the one thing he always yearned for -- family. When his brother Trevor arrives in Roswell, Michael will do anything to please him. But soon Trevor's loyalties come into question -- and Michael is caught in the cross fire.

Maria's little brother has disappeared and she knows the kidnappers are trying to get to her and her friends. Devastated and guilt-ridden, Maria turns to Michael for help. But will he be there for her, or has Michael himself become the enemy?

Much like Vanished, The Rebel surprised me. It was better than I expected, though some parts left much to be desired.

I still can’t get over the physical appearances of the characters in the books versus the show. Every time Max is described with blonde hair and blue eyes, I just want to cringe. Also, my mind was messing with me – I would imagine Jason Behr (the actor who played Max) with blonde hair and blue eyes… And then I kept picturing Brendan Fehr (Michael) with black hair and Colin Hanks (Alex) with red hair. Needless to say, it was kind of strange picturing these actors I knew and loved as the characters, but not looking like themselves. It shouldn’t be a big deal – Actors and appearances change all the time in book-to-movie adaptions. But for some reason, it really threw me off.

The physical appearances aside, the thing that upsets me the most, still, is the differences between television Sheriff Valenti and Kyle versus book Sheriff Valenti and Kyle. I really want to cry whenever I read about them in the books. We learned to love these characters for three years on the show, and to see the different relationship in the books… I feel dramatic saying this, but it really broke my heart.

The Collective Conscious officially freaked me out in this book. There were moments when they just took Max over, even without his permission, and during really awkward, uncomfortable moments – especially for Liz. I don’t necessarily believe they are evil, but I don’t fully trust them, either.

Adam is such a useless character. At least, he feels that way to me. He is bland and doesn’t say or do much to warrant anything. I can see the places where his character was divided into the Tess storyline and the Isabel storyline for the show. And I can absolutely see why his character was not included in the television show. His crush on Liz is unsettling, as Liz was pretty much 100% focused on Max in the show, so to have her affections stray is just… I don’t like it. Same goes with Maria and the mysterious Trevor. Maria had such a puppy-dog crush on Michael, I can’t see her straying like that.

I didn’t like or trust Trevor from the very beginning. I even thought he might have been DuPris in disguise, at first. I didn’t like him threatening Alex – who is finally home, after roughly two weeks – and I didn’t like the way he so easily swayed Michael away from his group. Michael, in the show, does not easily trust. He’s suspicious of everyone. So why didn’t he question Trevor more? Why did he so easily accept what he said as truth? His desire for family is understandable, but to the point that he would let his guard down so fully? It just wasn’t believable.

The Rosa storyline was definitely unnecessary, and I can absolutely see why it didn’t make it to the television show. Liz needs to sneak around, sneak out, and lie so much in the show to help Max, Isabel and Michael. If she had been under the kind of scrutiny her parents – her father, especially – put her under in the books, she never would have gotten away with the things she did in the show. I also just can’t picture Liz with a sibling, just as I can’t picture Maria with a sibling – it was just too much to visualize, too many differences from the show.

The two main focuses in The Rebel are: Who is Trevor, and what does he want? And who kidnapped Kevin (Maria’s little brother) and why? Both of these questions are answered at the end of the book. The ending was so mind-blowing, and it leaves so many questions unanswered. I almost couldn’t wrap my mind around what happened, or how. Melinda Metz is amazing with cliffhanger endings, and she truly does leave you eager to pick up the next book.